Willard Captivity Source: History of Charlestown, NH, Fort No. 4 by Rev. Henry H. Saunderson 1876 p.627 Joseph Willard of Charlestown, NH was the son of Rev. Joseph Willard and his wife, Susanna (Lynde) Willard and was a posthumous child born 3 mos after the tragic death of his father, which occurred in Rutland, MA at the time that Phineas Stevens, then a youth of sixteen, with his younger brothers, was taken prisoner by the Indians and carried to Canada. Rev. Mr. Willard was born at Saybrook, CT and graduated from Yale College in 1714 (Yale was then located at Saybrook, CT) He graduated from Harvard in 1723. He settled first at Sunderland, whence he removed to Rut- land, when his death from the manner in which it occurr- ed sent a thrill of horror through New England. The following account is from Whiting's History of Worcester County: "As Deacon Joseph Stevens and four of his sons were mak- ing hay on the meandows at Rutland, on the 14th of Aug. 1723, they were surprised by five Indians. Two of the sons were slain and two, Phineas and Isaac Stevens were made prisoners. Two of the five Indians waylaid a Mr. Davis and son, who that afternoon were making hay in the meadow not far off; but weary of waiting they were re- turning to the others and met Mr. Willard on their way, who was armed, having been on a hunting excursion. One of the Indians guns missed fire, the others did no execu- tion. Mr. Willard returned the fire and wounded one of them, it is said, mortally. The other closed in with Mr Willard, who would have been more than a match for him, had not the other three come to his assistance and it was some considerable time before they killed him." On the death of this excellent man, Lieut. Gov. Dummer in a becoming spirit, wrote to the Governor of Canada, as follows: "I have a right to complain that Mr. Willard (who had never been guilty of the facts charged by Mr. Ralle) who applied himself solely to the preaching of the gospel was by the Indians you sent to attack Rutland, assaulted, slain and scalped and his scalp carried in triumph to Quebec." "It was not the Indians, however that were chiefly to blame in this matter, but the rulers of the French nation who invited the savage, by a premium offer- ed for every trophy of victory." The widow of Rev. Joseph Willard married sometime after the deah of her husband, Rev. Andrew Gardner, into whose family, her children William and Joseph Willard were re- ceived and were brought up. p.628 Joseph Willard m. Huldah Willard the dau of Lieut Moses and Susanna (Hastings) Willard, and settled in Charles- town, NH. Their children were: 1. Francis Willoughby Willard b. July 14, 1751 and m. Deborah Blood in 1772. Their children were: Elias, James, Roswell, Philena Willard. Francis d. at Charlestown at the edge of Langdon. 2. Susanna Willard, b. Feb 5, 1753 and d. the same mo. 3. William Willard b. Mar 13, 1754; d. April l, 1825 aged 71 yrs. He m. Elizabeth Shepley of Groton, MA b. June 5, 1759 and d. Sept. 25, 1851. Their child- ren: 1. Minda Willard b. Aug 24, 1782 d. aged 31. 2. Edi Willard (a dau) b. June 17, 1784. 3. Isabella Willard b. Mar. 31, 1787 m. Joel Lawrence of Groton, MA. 4. Betsy Willard b. Jan 21, 1791; m. Levi Albee. 5. Mary Willard b. Sept. 3, 1796. 6. Hannah Willard b. June 25, 1801; m. Jan 25 1820, Luther Locke b. Dec. 6, 1796. 1. Luther Franklin Locke b. 1820 grad. Middlebury College 1845 and from Medical College, Cambridge, 1849; and practiced at Nashua, NH 2. Dean Jewett Locke b. Apr 16, 1823 and educated at Normal School, in Bridgewater and Medical College at Cambridge, became a physician in Calif. 3. Elmer Hall Locke b. Dec. 24, 1825, was educated at Rensselaer Inst. in N.Y. and went to CA in 1851. 4. George Shepley Locke b. Oct 30, 1830 went to CA in 1852. 4. Susanna Willard b. 1756. 5. James Willard b. Mar. 8, 1758; d. Sept. 29, 1760. 6. Samuel Willard b. Apr 16, 1760 was killed by the Indians June 8, 1760 (see p. 88) p.88 During the time Lieut Colonel Goffe had his head- quarters at Charlestown, NH and his regiment was employed in clearing the road between Charlestown NH and the mountains, the trails of the Indians were occasionally seen in the adjacent woods, but they were too few any general attack. Before this, regiment had reached Charlestown, they had made an incursion and carried off Joseph Willard and his wife and five children. They were taken at their homestead on the edge of the Great Meadow (Charlestown), on the 7th of June, 1760. Considering Samuel the youngest child, who was an infant, a burden to them, the Indians took him aside and beat his brains out against a tree. The family was taken to Canada, and the journey through the wilderness occupied fourteen days. They remained in captivity until the surrender of Montreal; into which city they had been taken a few days previous to its capitulation, when, with other prisoners, they were released. This was the last incursion of the Indians on the frontiers of New England and the bloody scene which had so long been opened now closed. The eastern Indians soon agreed to articles of peace and acknowledged themselves subjects of the crown of England. Not- withstanding, the war still continued in Europe and a few provincial troops were raised in 1761- 1762, but New England was still exempted from further hostilities and, on the 10th of Feb. 1763 a general peace was signed in Paris and soon after ratified by the belligerent powers of Europe, by which Canada and all the northern French settle- ments passed quietly under the jurisdiction of the British Crown. 7. Joseph Willard b. Nov 22, 1763; m. the widow, Mrs. Pierce and had 6 children and lived and died at Langdon. 8. Samuel Willard 2nd b. Nov. 28 (in Town Records, b. 1763) Joseph and Samuel were probably twins, and a mistake was made in setting down the day of birth of one of them) Samuel m. (1) Abigail ___ who had two children and died. He m.(2) Joanna Putnam b. Dec. 30, 1763 (see Thomas Putnam) Their children: 1. Antonio Willard b. 1787 m. m. Betsy ___ 1. Alpha G. Willard b. 1808 2. Mary Ann Willard b. 1810 2. Abigail Willard b. 1789 m. 1809 Benjamin Hustis of Westmoreland. 3. Alvarex Willard b. 1791 m. Lydia Albee 1816 1. Frederick Willard b. 1819 4. Laura Willard b. 1793 5. Polly Willard b. 1795 6. Ephraim Willard b. 1797 m. 1825 Sophronia Boutell. 7. Cynthia Willard b. 1800 m. 1823 Samuel Smith of Putney, VT 9. Waistill Willard son of Joseph and Hildah Willard m. Susan Minard. He was not an ordained minister but preached in homes and schools where they would other- wise not have had the ministry of the gospel. He was born at Charlestown but resided in Langdon. His children: 1. Susan Willard died young 2. Joseph Willard 3. George Willard b. 1805 m. 1827 Orinda Young Wolfe of Rockingham, VT dau of John and Lucy (Baker) Wolfe. b. 1807. 1. Eleanor Willard b. 1829 m. 1860 Henry Sabin and settled in Westminster, VT 1. Emily O. Sabin 2. Susan A. Sabin d. 1872 3. Willard C. Sabin 2. Sara Ann Willard b. 1832 m. 1850 Lemuel Rogers 3. Hugh Henry Willard b. 1834 d. 1855 4. Lucia Willard b. 1836 d. 1848 5. Abel Wolfe Willard b. 1839 d. 1844. 6. George Frank Willard b. 1843 m. 1867 Sarah C. Parks dau of Darius and Elizabeth (Shurtleff) Parks. 1. Eva L. Willard b. 1871 2. Harry W. Willard b. 1874 7. Susan Arabella Willard b. 1845 d. 1850 8. Abel Willard b. 1848 d. 1862 9. Haskell Willard b. 1853. Note: The family with the exception of Mrs. Sabin and Mrs. Rogers were all in Colorado (as of 1875) in the vicinity of Denver. Joseph Willard, the progenitor of the above families, with his wife and children who were taken by the Indians on June 7, 1760 and carried to Canada (see p. 88 above) and the place is still shown on the hill to the east of where his cottage stood, where the party who took them prisoners halted, while a portion of them returned to the house for provisions to sustain them on the way. They were conducted by the old route up Black River to the Green Mountains and thence to Otter Creek and Lake Champlain. They returned to Charlestown, NH after the surrender of Montreal. Joseph Willard died in Charles- town after a brief illness in 1799 and was buried on the 12th of September of that year. Joseph Willard was under Col. Josiah Willard at Fort Dummer from Feb. 12th to July 1, 1748. He was also a member of Capt. Phineas Steven's company in No. 4, in 1750. ____________________________________________________ Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth Oct. 1999